Chapter 4: Passive Fire Prevention
The topics:
Principle of passive fire prevention system
Structural fire protection
Compartmentation
Opening protection
Fire-stopping materials
Tutorial
1.0 Passive Fire Protection System Principle
1.1 Passive fire protection systems are designed
to prevent the spread of fire or smoke,
keeping the fire to its original area and
stopping it from spreading through the
building.
1.2 These include dividing buildings into
manageable spaces to limit the passage of
flames and smoke (compartmentation) and
reinforcing load-bearing structural elements
so they can withstand fire damage for an
extended period.
1.3 This then opens up a vital window of time
for a building to be safely evacuated.
2.0 Methods of Passive Fire Protection System
2.1 In general, there are 4 methods of passive
protection:
Structural fire protection – guarding the
essential structural elements against extreme
heat from fire outbreak
Compartmentation – containing fire and
smoke to a specific area and preventing
escape route from smoke, fire and heat
radiation.
Opening protection – maintaining fire
barriers at the door, window and duct
openings.
Fire-stopping materials – ensure fire proof
around penetration(s) at a fire barrier.
3.0 Structural Fire Protection
3.1 Structural fire protection guards the essential
structural components, i.e. structural steel and
joint systems from the effects of fire.
3.2 It ensures the building’s structural integrity is
maintained when it is exposed to long hours of fire.
3.3 This can be accomplished by coating or insulating
a fireproofing materials, i.e. spray-on thin-film
intumescent, endothermic materials like gypsum-
based plasters and cementitious products, mineral
wool wraps and insulation, and fireproofing
cladding.
3.4 The intumescent fireproofing involves adding a
protective coating for structural steel, which is
usually either spray applied or added as a thin
film layer.
3.0 Structural Fire Protection
3.5 The coating contains chemical
properties which expand when
exposed to high temperatures,
forming an additional layer
around steel beams, columns
and other structural elements.
3.6 This layer extends the length
of time in which the steel can
withstand high temperatures,
without compromising its basic
functionality.
3.7 Besides, building the structure
out of concrete products can
withstand longer hour of fire.
4.0 Compartmentation
4.1 The compartmentation aims to contain fire and
smoke to a specific area of a building via fire
barriers, firewalls, fire partitions, and smoke
barriers.
4.2 Fire barriers include fire-rated walls, floors, and
ceilings. These barriers are often made of concrete,
combination wood, gypsum, or masonry.
4.3 They are used to limit the spread of fire in a
building, prevent the exposure from thermal
radiation and allow safe egress.
4.4 Walls extend from a fire-rated floor to the fire-rated
ceiling above, and continue into concealed spaces
for full protection.
4.5 These walls are built structurally stable, so even
if there is collapse of a building on either side of the
wall, the wall will remain standing.
4.0 Compartmentation
4.6 The fire rated walls and floors protect evacuation
routes from fire and smoke migration. The
evacuation time is maximized when the barriers
effectively contain the fire. These passive fire
protection is only effective for short duration
exposure around 1 to 2 hours.
4.7 The fire curtains an electronically operated fire
curtain that seals off an area which is on fire,
thereby preventing fire from moving from one area
to another.
4.8 It provides protection for a pre-defined period
and are well suited to most industrial and
commercial buildings as they are unobtrusive,
moving to their active position only when needed.
1-hour or 2-hour fire resistant ceiling
5.0 Opening protection
5.1 Fire doors & windows are
installed at an opening of a fire
barrier to maintain its fire
resistance. The doors,
ironmongeries and frames work
together to form an effective
smoke and fire barrier.
5.2 Fire doors are reinforced with
either intumescent strips/a
cold smoke seal. It offers
additional fire resistance by
preventing the smoke passage.
5.3 Fire-rated glazing & framing are
tested as a complete assembly
that maintains the protection of
the fire barrier.
5.0 Opening protection
5.4 The fire and smoke
dampers are considered
“opening protection” within
the ducting system. They
are installed where the ducts
from the heating, ventilation
or air conditioning system
passes through walls or
floors.
5.5 The dampers maintain the
fire barrier of ducting system
even though air ducts always
penetrate fire-rated and/or
smoke-resistant assemblies.
These dampers are normally
are activated by an active
fire alarm system.
6.0 Fire-stopping
materials
6.1 These are sealing materials
which are used to limit fire
spread through
penetrations in a fire barrier.
It ensures that walls, floors
and ceilings are have
continuous fire resistance to
assist with restricting the
size and spread of a fire.
6.2 It common to see a fire
barrier penetrated during a
minor building alteration,
and the penetrating item is
not protected by fire-
stopping materials.
6.0 Fire-stopping materials
6.3 For instance, electricians,
plumbers, communications
technician etc. may
inadvertently leave hidden
holes or cavities in the floors,
ceilings, walls, or ventilation
ducts after they install the
wiring, conduits and piping
works.
6.4 These penetrations are
problematic because, when
there is a fire, and smoke
gets in a chase wall, smoke
can easily go upward and
actually spread through the
building.
6.0 Fire-stopping materials
6.5 The fire prevention involves
inspecting compartment walls
and floors as well as joints,
pipes and ducts for any non-
compliant gaps or openings.
6.6 Any potential breaches in
compartments are then
rectified using fire-resistant
materials. This should always
be carried out by specialists to
ensure adherence to industry
standards.
6.7 Without a thorough fire risk
survey in concealed spaces,
they may go unnoticed until
the event of a fire.
Tutorial
What is the difference between active and
passive fire protection?
While active fire protection systems detect and suppress flames, the passive
fire protection is to inhibit the spread of fire throughout a building and reduce
structural damage.
Term ‘passive’ can be used to define fire protection measures that do not
require human intervention to work, following their initial installation.
In a passive system, stationary materials are designed to help prevent the
spread of fire or smoke, keeping the fire to its original area and stopping it
from spreading through the building. When combined with an active system, a
passive system can help put out a fire faster and stop a lot of damage from
occurring.
Passive fire protection systems are mostly built right into the building. This
may mean using fire retardant materials when constructing the floors, walls
and ceilings of the building. For example, cinder block walls are going to be
less likely to spread flames than a wood frame wall.
In comparison, an ‘active’ fire protection measure will often have to be
triggered or handled by occupants or fire safety professionals in order to
suppress fire.
